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Hizb Allah urges Lebanese unity

Lebanese resistance movement Hizb Allah has called for national dialogue to resolve the country's political crisis.

20 Feb 2005 01:50 GMT

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt called for a peaceful uprising

The call came a day after the opposition launched a peaceful uprising against the pro-Syrian government.

Speaking from the organisation's Beirut offices, Nawaf al-Musawi, a member of Hizb Allah's political council, told Aljazeera the present political storm is not a good omen for Lebanon's political unity.

He said Secretary-General of Hizb Allah Hasan Nasr Allah is repeatedly calling for the launching of an initiative to initiate national dialogue.

Nasr Allah had warned on Saturday that popular agitation against Syria's presence in Lebanon could plunge the country back into civil war.

"God forbid, if the roof collapses, it collapses on all of us," Nasr Allah told at least 100,000 Shia Muslims gathered for Ashura, one of the holiest days in the Shia Muslim calendar.

Avoiding civil war

"Today we are responsible for a nation that came out of the civil war but we face acute problems, especially this year and in the past few months," Nasr Allah said.

"As Lebanese, we have no choice for remedying our crises and problems except to discuss and meet, even if we are angry and tense," he said. "We must not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Opposition member Faris Said, however, said opposition parties no longer trusted the government and called on international observers to investigate the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

But al-Musawi believes Nasr Allah's call for dialogue could restore negotiations between the two political factions which seem to be at loggerheads over Syria's military presence in Lebanon.

However, the Hizb Allah council member cautioned against elections brought upon by opposition demands.

"Nasr Allah has talked about elections that should determined by the popular will and based on constitutional means by which political paths, the identity of Lebanon and its political choices could be specified," he said.